


Red Hoodie

by a5xa7 (CastelloFlare)



Series: the runner's romance [9]
Category: The Maze Runner Series - James Dashner
Genre: Courtship, First Meetings, Fluff, M/M, University AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-19
Updated: 2016-05-23
Packaged: 2018-05-02 09:32:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5243303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CastelloFlare/pseuds/a5xa7
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Minewt story expressed in notes.</p><p>UPDATE: Narration starts at Chapter 2</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. silent, unseen

_Newt spent so much time looking at a fellow university student running laps in the field, and one day wanted to make contact without being too close by leaving a water bottle and a note in front of the locker room._

(1st night)

To the runner with the red hoodie:  
Hey, sorry if this is too random, but I notice you've been running around the track every night until this late hour, so here's a free bottle of water from a stranger for all your hard work.  
-N

(2nd night)

Red Hooodie:  
Passed by the field again and as expected, I saw you running still, so here's another one.  
-N

(3rd night)

(taped on the locker room door)  
To: N  
hey, thanks for the bottles dude. why don't you join me sometime?  
-red hoodie

Got a limp. Will just slow you down. Here's another one for the day.  
-N

(4th night)

at least stay til I'm done so i could meet you? would like to thank you personally at least  
P.S. wouldn't mind just walking for a bit  
-red hoodie

All my classes start at 7am so I always head back before 8pm.  
-N

(5th night)

alright, i understand. maybe another day?  
-Red Hoodie

Maybe.  
:)  
-N

(8th night)

wanna swap numbers? or names maybe?  
P.S. brought my own notepad this time instead of asking the janitor if he has any.  
-red hoodie

Names, for starters would be fine. Also, take a day to rest, will you?  
-Newt

(9th night)

thanks a lot, newt :)  
P.S. i'd miss your note if I become lazy  
-minho

You'll never miss running, that I'm sure of. :)  
P.S. Went to this cafe called the Glader's Haven today. Thought I'd buy you a tuna sandwich along with the water bottle. Hope this doesn't ruin your sports guy diet.  
-Newt

(10th night)

the sandwich was shucking good, might try to grab a bite there someday. with you, hopefully?  
\- minho

Are you asking me out?  
-Newt

(11th night)

probably. or asking a potential friend to have a potential lunch together, whichever works. you up to it? :)  
-minho

(12th night)

hey, newt, you there? was the bottle last night from you? there was no note attached to it so i wasn't so sure, but i took it anyway  
-minho

Yes, I dropped by again last night. Sorry, I wasn't able to leave a note, I just took yours and went back thinking about your offer and forgot I didn't actually have your number to text you my response.  
-Newt

(13th night)

so you also keep my notes? :) told you we should've exchaged numbers.  
-minho

Wouldn't really want to tape my number onto the door at night, the nightwatchman might take it LOL.  
P.S. Yes, I keep them.  
-Newt

(14th night)

so is the potential lunch on? :) only if it's convenient for you.  
-minho

Maybe after your track meet? So you could keep your healthy diet first.  
-Newt

(15th night)

so you know about the track meet next week :)) will you watch?  
-minho

I will but you wouldn't know I was there. Let me just warn you that I may just have a big crush on you and I wouldn't want to give myself away until maybe that potential lunch.  
-Newt

(16th night)

can you stay for a while? i'll finish up quick today.  
-minho

Friendly reminder that I have a crush on you? You'll see me, eventually just not today.  
-Newt

(17th night)

you tease. i'll catch you real soon :)  
-minho

You don't even know how I look like ;)  
-Newt

(18th night)

(Red hoodie is draped over the door handle)  
am leaving this here and not taking it back with me so you better take it and wear this when you watch me win ;)  
P.S. i washed it myself.  
-minho

(on the day of the track meet)

_Nervous yet not willing to let Minho down, Newt wears the red hoodie to the stadium, and discovers a note in its right pocket._

wait for me?  
-minho

_And this time, Newt does._


	2. Red Hoodie 1.5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wanting to be seen, yet not wanting to be seen.

Newt wondered how he got himself there, inside the track team’s locker room, a rather big improvement from stealthily taping notes and leaving water bottles outside their door every evening for the past twenty-two days.

Miraculously, as if the whole universe had allowed it in this moment, the locker room was empty, with everyone outside watching their teams warm up for the relay. Newt, in a red hoodie, stood undisturbed in front of one of the lockers. The name ‘Minho’ was written on a strip of paper in the nameplate, scribbled in the same handwriting as the little notes that were now meticulously posted on Newt’s calendar back in his dorm room. Even now, it still all felt surreal how their relationship had evolved, given that they were only strangers roughly a month ago – well, one of them having a massive crush on the other for quite a while already. Despite the lack of an audience, Newt felt his ears and cheeks go incredibly hot.

The fabric of Minho’s red hoodie felt so comfortable on his skin – he immediately felt sorry for not having used it to, well, do immoral things, but then again, if he wanted to venture into that area, he wanted it to be with the man himself. But that seemed like a very stalker-ish move and even just thinking about it made him feel so embarrassed, he had to hide himself under the hood. What the hell happened to ‘not getting too close’ and ‘content with watching from afar’? Now he owed Teresa a few bucks, and a chocolate mint latte.

What was he doing there anyway? If he just stayed outside and mingled with the crowed, even Minho would have a hard time spotting him just hiding there in plain sight, but then that would defeat the purpose of actually wearing the red hoodie. It was weird, wanting to be seen, yet not wanting to be seen. It made his stomach churn – whoever made that metaphor about butterflies was dead wrong because there was an entire zoo there now.

Then it happened, the signal that he had to turn and leave – no, it wasn’t the sudden raging cheers of the student body, nor the Principal’s voice reciting the opening remarks booming through the speakers signalling the beginning of the sports meet – it was the locker room door opening behind him.

But Newt remained glued to on the spot, a hand hovering over Minho’s nameplate. He froze.


	3. first, second chance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Before the notes, before the silent admiration, there was a lot of yelling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This draft has been sitting in my folder for so long, and because I'm about to start working (hello real world), I decided to pay this a visit while I'm not busy yet. Turns out it was also fun writing this once again. Like what happens in this story, it felt like a second chance. Thank you for choosing to read this story. Also, happy Minewt Day <3

It’s funny how in a sea of strangers, a single face without a name you could attach to, stands so vividly against the blur. For no rational reason at all aside from probably curiosity or the pursuit of aesthetic pleasure, the sense of sight zeroes in on that nameless face, as the person passes you by until he or she vanishes once more into that faceless crowd of people. It is only an instant, and you naturally move on, because the rational mind tells you that nothing can be gained from holding onto afterimages of a stranger you would most likely never encounter ever again.

And in such a big university, Newt knew better than to dwell on the fleeting moments of sparing a stranger a second glance, even if that stranger was an Asian Adonis who happened to jog along the sidewalk opposite where Newt was sitting on this grass.

Sweat glistened on the guy’s forehead and biceps like pieces of the sun, his sleeveless top clinging so dangerously close to his body, revealing a physique that must have been chiselled into perfect shape by the hands of a master artisan. Newt’s breath hitched, and he wasn’t even the one doing the running.

The moment passed quickly, and in a matter of seconds Newt was only staring at his back. Newt wouldn’t even remember the exact details of the stranger’s face.

 

“Tommy, you’re running late again, you shank,” Newt knocked fiercely on the door of his friend’s dorm room. They had taken up different majors, and the only course they took together with Teresa was a 7AM College Algebra class.

“Step aside, Neanderthal, you’re waking up the whole building,” Teresa elbowed him and put her ear to the door. She paused, and said, “I think he’s throwing something, or _someone_ out the window.”

“… This is the 3rd floor.”

“Nothing has ever stopped our dear friend Gally before.”

Newt’s eyes widened. Was he losing twenty bucks or…

“They’re not together yet, but they’re in that stage where the bigger lovesick fool of the two climbs buildings just to get glimpses of the other lovesick fool waking up,” Teresa shrugged. Newt let out a relieved sigh. So he still has his twenty bucks.

The door suddenly jerked open, and Thomas was there, bag already slung behind him, tiptoeing on one foot and putting a mismatched shoe on the other. Newt and Teresa pretended they didn’t notice.

“I already told you guys it’s okay to go ahead without me,” Thomas smiled as he tied his shoelaces, obviously touched he wasn’t left behind. Newt noticed his own shoelaces were untied, and bent down to fix them up.

At the same time, the door to the bathroom inside Thomas’ room opened, apparently, it was the roommate that neither Newt nor Teresa had ever seen. “Heading out?”

“And already late,” Thomas straightened up and moved to close the door; introductions can be made at a later and more convenient time. “See you later, Min.”

Newt got up as soon as the door was closed. Teresa was shaking her head at him.

“What?”

“You just missed your already slim chances of seeing a beefcake in a towel so early, my sweet,” she said as they began to head down the hallway towards the stairs. She turned to Thomas. “Your boyfriend not threatened in the slightest considering that you’re rooming with Ambercrombie and Fitch?”

Thomas almost tripped on his own mismatched pair of shoes. “Pssh, what, why—who says I have a boyfriend?”

“Hypothetical boyfriend,” Teresa smiled. They went past the glass doors of the building.

“What’s Gally doing walking around with twigs and leaves on his head?” Newt pointed with his thumb, a mischievous and knowing smile playing on his lips.

Thomas just walked faster than the two of them.

 

“You need me to do what?” Newt said, a paper bag containing a neatly packed lunch and chicken soup thrust into his hands.

“Come on, Newt, favour for an old friend?” Gally had his hands clasped together, as if praying for a blessing. “Besides, Thomas was the one who suggested it. A peace offering.”

“You cook?”

“… I have economics class.”

“… But why can’t you deliver this yourself?” Newt made to inspect the contents of the bag. A fragrant aroma arose from inside. He made a mental note to use Thomas to blackmail Gally into cooking for him next time. “I haven’t really seen Thomas’ roommate, and I bet he hasn’t seen me yet either, so wouldn’t it be weird for a stranger to knock on their door and give him someone else’s homemade meal?”

“At first, Thomas volunteered to give it directly to Em after class, but track practice got in the way,” Gally explained. “Teresa has to prepare for a report, and the other guys have their own classes—”

“Still, why not you?” Newt arched an eyebrow. He knew Gally somehow shucked something up for Thomas’ roommate not to want to see him, and he wanted the details.

Gally huffed in annoyance and surrender. “Fine, shank, I’ll tell you if you promise to deliver it.”

“I’ll be skipping into their dorm as soon as you’re done.”

“Okay,” Gally said, but he paused, as if considering if he would really tell Newt, but seeing as there is no other way, he began. “I, uh, sometimes climb up their window through that big-ass tree in front of their building to, uh, just check on Thomas, with good intentions, of course.” He added the last part a bit too quickly.

Newt nodded along and pretended that this was all brand new information for him.

“And his roommate, Em, he was my classmate in elementary, and he was a pretty chubby kid then, but some miracle of life turned him into this… not chubby anymore guy. You follow me?”

“You feel threatened by this ‘Em’?” Must be short for Emmet or Emile.

“Anyway I climbed the tree again, when I was sure Thomas wasn’t around – don’t ask why – but that slinthead Em was there dressing up with his bum out, but why would you change clothes with the window open right?” Gally shrugged, annoyed and embarrassed at the memory, but continued. “Anyway, my presence surprised him – I’m kinda ninja that way – and he fell on his own stupid feet and I guess he injured a foot or whatever. So, yeah, he’s pretty pissed. But in my defense, I mean, it wasn’t my fault he was naked in the first place.”

“… I think illegal entering was the bigger and real offense?” Newt arched an eyebrow, yet felt amused. Thomas’ roommate seemed like a pretty interesting guy. And didn’t Teresa once call him a beefcake?

“Whatever, man, you promised me, okay?” Gally narrowed his eyes at Newt.

The blond smirked and shrugged, then spun on his heels.

 

Newt knocked on the door. Gally stood at the far end of the hallway by the stairs just to make sure Thomas’ roommate would take his homemade cooking. When no one answered after three sets of knocks, Gally motioned for Newt to keep going at it. So far, a couple of minutes had passed and yet no one came to the door. Getting impatient himself, Newt knocked even louder this time. Someone yelled angrily from the inside.

“What the shuck is your shucking problem!? Didn’t anyone tell you if no one answers the door they might be sleeping, you annoying unruly mongoose!?”

Newt was startled, yet he decided he should be polite.

“Pardon me, but, uh, I’m a friend of Thomas, and I got something for y—”

“That you, Gally?” The voice interrupted him.

“What?”

“Your English accent may be convincing, but I’d know it if it was you standing there outside, you big slab of expired cheese!”

Newt made a face at Gally. _Can’t I just leave this by the door?_ He mouthed.

 _Thomas said to make sure the shank received the package_ , was the reply.

The blond rolled his eyes and sighed. He tried again. “This is Thomas’ other friend, who’s actually British and not an idiot –”

“And this is Thomas’ stuffed animal talking,” Interrupted, yet again. “Get away, Gally, I ain’t buying whatever you’re selling.”

“I told you, this isn’t Gally,” Newt said, exasperated. “Do I sound like some constipated llama to you?” At the corner of his eye, he could see Gally flipping him off.

“You didn’t insult yourself enough, you incompetent uncircumcised duck! Still Gally!”

“Well your insults aren’t exactly coherent, you hairy overgrown toe wart!”

“Go be a yapping wilted cactus somewhere else, Gally!”

“You don’t get to tell me what to shucking do, you greasy bearded cow!”

“I’m coming out to pound you the moment my foot heals, you castrated hillbilly jalapeño!”

Newt internally laughed manically at that. This idiot didn’t even really know who he was, and mistook him for Gally, who ought to really watch out – this guy sounded like he could air-kick anyone in the nads. Newt quietly made his way back to Gally, Thomas’ angry roommate still yelling from behind their door.

“Thank you for setting me up with destiny, shuckface,” Gally arched an eyebrow, yet did not seem the least bit unnerved from Em’s threat.

“Hey, I tried,” Newt just shrugged. Gally narrowed his eyes on the paper bag.

“Food’s gonna get cold if we don’t get this shucking peace offering to that jackass,” the bigger boy scratched the back of his head. “If it wasn’t only for Thomas—wait. There’s another way.”

Newt didn’t like the look on Gally’s face whenever he has an idea.

 

“This wasn’t worth your story after all,” Newt said, annoyed. Yet he climbed the tree all the same.

“I promised to cook lunch for you for three days,” Gally loudly whispered from under the tree. He wasn’t to be seen nor heard by Em. “I’ve already more than paid you for this little favour.”

The plan was simple. Climb the tree – the same one Gally used to creep, er, check on Thomas every morning – and just place the package on the window sill. Em, with his injured foot, most likely couldn’t get out of bed to tackle him away. Newt didn’t quite like it, especially after experiencing firsthand just how big of a dick this ‘Em’ guy was, but Gally’s plan didn’t sound so idiotic once he was up on the tree.

The leaves provided ample cover, without totally blocking his view of the window now facing him – he couldn’t see much yet he saw enough; he could see a pair of ankles, one bandaged, on a bed nearest to the door. A red hoodie was lazily hanging from the doorknob. This was it, Thomas and that jerkface Em’s room. Newt slowly crawled on the branch, and gently placed the package on the window sill – but as soon as he did, a shoe went flying in his direction.

“Didn’t think I’d be expecting you from where you first startled me, barf brain?” Em yelled from his bed. “Can’t really expect you to have a good strategy you forlorn kelp!”

Newt quickly retreated into the leaves, covering his head with one hand, and steadying himself with the other. “You’re not playing fair, you bloody wanker!”

“Well you should stop climbing trees up other people’s rooms, you sick creep!”

Newt couldn’t really disagree with that about Gally, so he just focused on going back down the tree. Gally was picking up the shoes that fell to the bottom, a mix of Thomas’ and Em’s, some still raining down from a window on the third floor of the building. This would be the last time he did Gally any favors, Newt thought. Then , halfway down the tree, his foot slipped, and he fell.

 

“… and that’s how I got that limp and couldn’t join you running,” Newt finished, now laughing at the memory, actually having forgotten about it until he was asked about why he had written he had a limp, but now, in person, did not. “Luckily I landed on Gally, or it might’ve been a lot worse.”

The hand he’d been holding suddenly tensed – it had felt clammy for a while already – the person beside him stopped walking, making Newt stop in his tracks, too. He turned, and was face to face with an Asian Adonis, wearing a red hoodie that finally went back to its owner – under the bright light of the street lamps lining the brick road that led to the dormitories, Newt could see Minho’s mouth tense at the edges.

“Hey,” Newt cupped Minho’s cheeks in both hands. “I’m okay now. It wasn’t even that Em-guy’s fault, I slipped on my own,” Newt shrugged. Minho’s eyebrows were furrowed, his eyes downcast and not meeting Newt’s.

“Hey, look at me. What’s wrong?” Newt tried again. Minho didn’t answer, but his hands went around Newt’s neck and pulled him close. He buried his face against the blond’s neck and stayed that way for a while.

“What the shucking shuck,” Minho muttered into the fabric of Newt’s own hoodie. “Just… wow. This isn’t even funny.”

“It kinda is, in hindsight,” Newt said, his hands tracing patterns on Minho’s back.

“No, I mean – what I mean is –” Minho stumbled over his own words, which was rare. He pulled away from Newt’s neck and faced him squarely. “Newt, I’m – shuck it – Gally has always called me ‘M’ ever since I could remember. ‘M’ is just short for Minho.”

It took a few moments for Newt to process that. As far as he knew, they’d never met before the track meet three weeks ago. He’d never really seen Thomas’ roommate’s face. He had a crush on Red Hoodie running around the track every night, and watched him silently from afar, never talked to him until the secret notes. They’d never interacted.

Or so they both thought.

Newt suddenly took a step back, away from Minho’s embrace.

“You’re hairy overgrown toe wart!”

“And you’re actually-fake-Gally,” Minho crossed his arms. “Shuck, it didn’t even occur to me that you were the annoying twerp that barked up my door once.”

“Why didn’t you say anything until the end of the story?”

“How could I just –” Minho scratched the back of his head exasperatedly. “Look, this is just crazy. I never even knew, I always thought it _was_ Gally. I’m really sorry.” He sounded, looked uncharacteristically sheepish and guilty. Somehow, seeing this rather vulnerable side of Minho, the well-respected and alleged ace of the track team, amused Newt and implanted a warm feeling inside his own chest.

“Never really took you as a shoe-thrower,” Newt said, grinning yet trying not to. Minho was seriously apologetic.

“An act of defense,” Minho said, the usual carefree tone going back to his voice after sensing Newt’s refusal to be angry. Yet he added, still a little guiltily, “I really did think you were Gally.”

“And here I thought we had an absolutely unique way of meeting each other,” Newt shrugged. “Turns out we were both assholes the actual first time.”

“So not actually _seeing_ each other was a good thing.”

“Yeah. Remaining mutually unseen gave us a second chance at meeting each other, I think,” Newt pulled on a strand of his golden hair.

Minho shifted uncomfortably on his feet. “So now that we both know, are you… maybe, I don’t know, mad or… something?”

“You _were_ shucking annoying and screechy,” Newt said, after contemplating for a bit. Then he took a step forward, closing the distance between them, and took Minho’s hands in his. “But I have waited a long time for _this_. I’m not taking back all those names I called you, though. You deserved them. You were an ass.”

Minho smiled, and everything was back to being okay. 

“Right back at you, slinthead,” Minho said, and planted his mouth on Newt’s. Newt tasted like home and coffee, the same way he always had four dates ago.

Maybe Newt was right. It was funny how the universe worked and how people got together, even funnier how close they had already been to meeting each other, and yet not entirely meeting, until some higher power decided it was the right time for them to actually get together. Minho decided it didn’t matter. What’s important was what he held in his arms in that moment.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
